Pointing the Way

Brian Stolper

I’ve been in the insurance industry as an agency owner for 20 years, and like most people, I’ve tried a lot of different approaches to building my business. Early in my career, I came across Troy Korsgaden’s system, which played a big part in shaping how I started running my agency. Recently, I have revisited those principles through the new Korsgaden Insights Community, and it really feels like I have discovered a comprehensive management approach for an agency.

One of the most memorable parts of joining this community has been attending the one-day Practice Management course in Chicago, where I got to meet Korsgaden International principal Michelle Hubert. Michelle really impressed me—she’s a fantastic mix of trainer, counselor and, honestly, what felt like an agency therapist, all rolled into one. The amount of ground she covered in just eight hours was incredible. The event was full of practical tools I could bring back to my agency right away. We talked about everything from improving team workflows to retaining clients, and it gave me a lot of fresh ideas about how to manage things more effectively.

Lately, I’ve been paying close attention to customer engagement, which is so important in today’s business environment. It doesn’t take much to lose years of trust if there’s a bad interaction. That’s why consistency and quality service are so critical. One of the tools I’ve started using from the program is the client contact road map. It’s a structured way of making sure we’re reaching out to clients thoughtfully, ensuring every touchpoint has a purpose.

By following this road map, my agency is becoming better at staying on top of proactive and consistent communication. It’s often the little things—like timely follow-ups and personalizing interactions—that build and maintain strong customer relationships. This structured approach gives me confidence that we’re reinforcing trust and heading off issues before they escalate.

Team engagement

Another part of the course that resonated with me was leadership and team accountability. Managing a team with different levels of experience can be a challenge, but the insights Michelle shared helped me think differently about how to engage and align my team better. While we’re still rolling out some of the changes, I’ve already noticed improvements in how we communicate and set goals. The team is more motivated now, especially as we push to meet our target of writing 30 life insurance policies in 90 days.

Outside of the event, the Korsgaden Live Sessions webinars have also been really valuable. The articles and webinars get me thinking about how to improve customer engagement and streamline operations. I haven’t attended a ton of webinars yet, but the ones I have joined have already sparked some positive changes in how we do business. The focus on customer-centric strategies, like the client contact road map, has been particularly helpful.

All in all, the Korsgaden Insights Community has become an important resource for me. It offers a range of tools and strategies that feel relevant no matter what carriers you work with. From improving my leadership to strengthening my team and client relationships, I’m confident this community will play a key role in the future of my agency.